Blood and Family
by Pauli Kaye
Summary: Harry couldn't be the last of the Potters. With the way the old families inter-married, he had to have a living relative on his Father's side. Turns out, he's right. Harry joins his cousin, Garrett Hawke, in Kirkwall. How will a summer in Thedas change Harry? Takes place the summer before fourth year and during DAII Act 2. Rated M for violence.
1. Departure

**Disclaimer:All cannon characters and story lines belong to their original creators, J.K. Rowling and Electronic Arts.**

* * *

**Departure**

Harry Potter was not going back to the Dursley's. His home life was far from pleasant, but it hadn't been unbearable. Blowing up his Aunt Marge, however, was sure to change his treatment for the worse. He was still on the magical side of the barrier at Kings Cross, hoping to avoid his "lovely" family. He had thought about what to do for the whole train ride. No doubt his friends were a bit worried over how preoccupied he had been.

Coming to a decision, he slipped through the barrier with his trunk. He had told Hedwig to wait for him in Diagon alley, since his last resort was to stay at the Leaky for the summer. Looking up, he could see his Aunt Petunia waiting for him. Uncle Vernon had obviously decided to stay at Privet Drive, not wanting to see his unnatural nephew for as long as he could.

"There you are, boy. You've kept me waiting for long enough already," Aunt Petunia spat out. "Get in the car, and no funny business!"

"Actually, Aunt Petunia," Harry began, hoping that this would work, "do you remember that man who escaped over the summer? The one on the news?" Aunt Petunia stared at him impatiently, and motioned him to get to the point. "Well, he's, y'know, one of _my kind_." His Aunt's face paled to a shade of sickly white. Whether it was from the news of a mass murderer with magic, or that Harry was talking about it in front of other people who could overhear, he didn't know. "He broke into the school, and people were saying he was after _me_. I'm afraid that he may come after me at Privet Drive, so if you take me to Charing Cross, then I'll be out of your hair for the rest of the summer, and you won't have to worry about Sirius Black coming to Little Whinging."

Aunt Petunia rapidly gained her color back at that, grabbed his arm, and all but threw him into the car. "I will not have you endangering my sweet Duddikins with your freakishness!" She exclaimed shrilly. "I'll take you to Charing Cross, but I better not hear from you for the rest of the summer!"

The drive to the Leaky Cauldron was blessedly short and quiet. Once Harry reached his destination, he made his way to Gringotts with fierce determination. He had thought long and hard on the train about ways to get away from the Dursleys, before he had been struck by inspiration. The only reason Dumbledore had ever given him as to why he had to stay there was that he had to stay because they were _family_. For him to be protected by the blood wards, he had to live with blood relatives. It was on that train of thought that he came to the conclusion that the Dursleys could not possibly be the last of his blood relatives. Almost all of the old families had ties to each other, after all. Why not the Potters? Harry recalled that his grandmother was a Black, meaning his was related (somewhat distantly) to Sirius. There had to be a close enough relation still living.

The problem then was how to find them. He didn't have any records of his own family, and didn't want to ask around too much, for fear of someone trying to stop him. Namely Dumbledore or the Ministry. Don't get him wrong, he's Dumbledore's man through and through, but he would rather not take the chance that he might be sent back to Privet Drive. So, who would know about the Potters? That is why he was now trying to make his way to Gringotts without being noticed. The Potters must have had a vault at Gringotts for a long time. Long enough that they would hopefully have some kind of records or way to find members of his family. At least, that is what he hoped.

Harry sent up a silent prayer that his guesses were right as he climbed his way up the marble stairs into the bank's foyer. The bank wasn't very crowded at all, and so he went straight up to the nearest goblin teller. The goblin behind the counter was just as strange looking as any other, though he suspected that this particular goblin was slightly older than the others he had seen. Harry patiently waited to be acknowledged, as the goblin seemed to be scribbling furiously in the ledger in front of him.

The goblin finally looked down its nose at Harry, "What business do you have with Gringotts today?"

Harry nervously decided how to phrase his request, hoping not to make a fool of himself. "I was wondering if the goblins of Gringotts had any way to tell me if I have any living blood relatives. Specifically, the Potters. I currently reside with some muggle relatives of my mother's, and we've had a disagreement of late. I would be more than happy to compensate the bank for their services."

The grizzled goblin regarded him silently for a moment, before calling for a familiar goblin. "Griphook, escort Mr. Potter here to one of the available inheritance offices." He then return to his ledger without even bothering to address Harry directly.

Griphook beckoned him to follow and began to lead Harry through a long hallway he was sure he could easily lose himself in. They stopped before a door identical to all the others around it, and Griphook rapped sharply and open the door for Harry once admittance was permitted. Entering the office, Harry silently waited to be addressed by the new goblin. He had a longer, slimmer nose than Griphook, who had already left, and wiry white hair.

"Hello, Mr. Potter. My name is Sharptooth, what can I do for you today?" The Goblin peered at him with what Harry thought to be a slightly curious face. With as foreign as the goblins features were to him, though, it could have just as easily been a look of disdain. He was hoping for curious.

Taking a small breath to prepare himself, he started, "I was hoping Gringotts may be able to identify any living blood relatives I have on the Potter side of my family. I'm aware of my mother's relations, but I'm hoping I may have other family on my Father's side."

"Well Mr. Potter, Gringotts does indeed hold records that my be of use for your purposes. The cost of this service will be 10 galleons. Depending on the results of our search, we may then either arrange correspondence or transportation for you. Correspondence is an additional 5 galleons, and transportation will depend on the location. Will this be acceptable?"

Relief and hope flooded Harry, "Yes, that would be more than acceptable. Can you just take the money from my account? I'm afraid I don't have any money with me."

"Of course Mr. Potter. Wait here while I check our records." Sharptooth then left Harry alone in the office.

Harry was admiring a particularly gruesome painting, from what he could only assume to be about a goblin rebellion, when Sharptooth return about twenty minutes later. "Well Mr. Potter, I've compiled a list of your living relatives for you to look over. I'm afraid that all but one are only related to you through marriage or a very thin blood link."

Harry took the piece of parchment from Sharptooth and read down the list. Some of the names he discarded almost immediately. Malfoy and Lestrange being two names he definitely didn't want to be associated with. Tonks was on the list, as was Longbottom and Weasley. These were discarded from his mind since he knew they would not harbor him if Dumbledore asked them not to. The name that jumped out at him was Hawke. Apparently his grandfather, Charlus Potter, had a child with a woman named Erlinda Hawke before he married his grandmother, Dorea Black. Erlinda had a son, Malcolm Hawke, who was James Potter's illegitimate half-brother. Malcolm Hawke went on to have three children; Garrett, Bethany, and Carver, with his wife, Leandra Amell. The knowledge that he had an uncle was enough to send Harry's mind reeling. Unfortunately, the only Hawke still living was his cousin, Garrett.

Harry sat back, and silently grieved for the family that had been so close. Nobody had even known! They can't have, or surely Dumbledore would have sent him to live with them instead. At the very least he would have heard about his father having a brother, illegitimate or not. But Sirius and Lupin hadn't mentioned this "Malcolm Hawke," so they can't have known. Harry briefly wondered if his grandfather had even known, with how obscure this information seemed to be. Then it hit him. _I have family_.

Sure, he had the Dursleys, but even in the loosest terms, he could not bring himself to refer to them as family. They were related, but they were not family. Here was his chance to have true family. That is, if this Garrett Hawke even wanted anything to do with him. He hoped his cousin would.

Looking up at Sharptooth, who had been observing him silently, he said, "This Garrett Hawke, where is he? I'd like to meet him as soon as possible. Could you send a letter ahead announcing me, and then arrange transportation there and back? I hope to be able to stay with him, but if he won't allow it I'll need a way to get back here. I want the letter to reach him first so I don't just appear on his doorstep."

Sharptooth regarded him a moment before answering him. "Ser Hawke currently resides in the city of Kirkwall, located in the Free Marches of Thedas." Seeing Harry's completely baffled look, he continued, "Your cousin lives in a separate world loosely connected to ours by a place called the Fade. We goblins, as well as a few of the other sentient magical beings, have doorways we can use to travel between the two worlds. Although, we have not openly used these doorways for centuries, since the fall of the magical Imperium with whom we traded. There are very few of the doorways that are still intact. Many of these 'Eluvian' were destroyed in the revolution that occurred, and so, most of us decided it was best that we no longer interfered. However, every now and then, there are a few travelers. Erlinda Hawke was born in this world, but when she learned she was pregnant, she petitioned us to send her over."

Sharptooth paused for a moment, looking at Harry to see if he needed to elaborate, before continuing, "The world of Thedas is aware of the existence of magic, and has four races of beings: humans, elves, dwarves, and qunari. They call those gifted with magic 'mages' and are under the control of their religious institution, the 'Chantry.' We can allow you to use our Eluvian and give you a portkey that will transport you from the doorway to Kirkwall and back. If you wish to send a message today, you may write it here and we will send it immediately. Transportation can be arranged at your convenience. The letter will cost 5 galleons. Transportation will cost you a total of 50 galleons," Sharptooth finished and looked to Harry for his decision.

Harry thought a few moments before deciding. He had come this far, he refused to give up now. "Please send a letter today, and arrange my transportation for tomorrow evening. Please take the 65 galleons from my vault, and an extra 10 galleons for yourself as a thanks for the excellent service you have given me."

"Of course, Mr. Potter. Please return to the bank tomorrow at 3 pm and you may write your letter now."

Upon the completion if the letter, Harry promptly left Gringotts after a quick trip to his vault. He made his way to the Leaky Cauldron to pay for a room for the night and met up with Hedwig. Once he was in his room, he collapsed on the bed, exhausted from the emotional roller coaster he had experienced in the last few hours.

* * *

Harry made it to Gringotts, trunk and familiar in tow, a half an hour before Sharptooth had told him he would depart for Thedas. Harry had decided to think of Thedas like it was a separate continent. He was less confused that way. After approaching the teller, he was led down on the carts be Griphook to a vault door that look very old. Griphook ran a long, gnarled finger down the center, and the vault door swung open on creaky, invisible hinges.

"Just a few last bits of information before you go, Mr. Potter." Griphook said, and handed Harry a silver ring. "This ring is your portkey. Once you step through the doorway, say 'never tickle a sleeping dragon' and you will be taken to a small alley around the corner from your cousins estate. Any passerby will be able to tell you which is his. The same phrase will return you to just the other side of the Eluvian. Also, a word of warning. While Thedas is aware of magic, mages are not always treated well. Tell no one you have magic until after you've spoken with your cousin. Kirkwall, in particular, is magic hostile."

Harry nodded to Griphook that he understood, and entered the vault. It was empty, save for a large mirror in the center of the room which reminded Harry of the mirror of Erised. Taking a deep breath, Harry tightened his hold on his trunk's handle and Hedwig's cage, and stepped through the mirrors reflective surface.

The other side was not what he had been expecting. He was in a room with stone walls on all sides; no windows or doors. Good thing he had a portkey, then. Making sure he had a good grip on his belongings, Harry looked at the silver ring on his finger.

"Never tickle a sleeping dragon."

* * *

**IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE**

**First things first. I don't have internet where I'm living so updates will most likely not be a weekly thing. I plan on the story being twenty-three chapters long, including the epilogue. It will cover all major events in both series, though the last two HP books will be heavily AU and more or less take place in the span of one year instead of two. Any reviews you give me I will be able to receive on my smartphone. However, I will not be able to reply. If a reviewer brings up an important point or question, my answer will be given in an author's note at the end of the next chapter. **

**Also, I am aware that my story will be similar to The Two Champions by Na'hiel. I am doing my best to keep my story different and separate. I do encourage you to read this story, as I liked it and it is what inspired me to write my story.**

**As far as relationships go, I have yet to make a decision. This is where you readers come in. This story will be M!Hawke/Anders because that relationship is the one that fits my plot the best. If you want my detailed reasoning, let me know and I will include it in my next update. This is the only relationship that I am set in stone about. As for Harry, I will consider any suggestions reviewers give me. I do not plan on pairing him with anyone from the HP world because his time in Kirkwall will change him drastically. Therefore, I am leaning towards pairing him with someone from Dragon Age. Please leave me a review of your suggestion and a short explanation of why. I will consider both slash and het pairings.**

**On the note of relationships, all pairings will be non-explicit. The most that will be mentioned is kissing or stating that characters have shared a bed. No other details will be written. Isabela's jokes and teasing is about as explicit as I will get. If in the future I decide to change this, I will post an extended version of this story on another site.**

**I think that covered the most important things, but I will happily do my best to answer any questions you may have. **

**Cheers!**

**Pauli Kaye**

**P.S. Please keep any reviews civil. I welcome criticism as I feel it makes me a better writer. I will not accept "flames." I am doing my best to follow the guidelines of this site, and I would appreciate it if my reviewers did the same. Anyone I find violating this will be reported and blocked, no exceptions.**


	2. Arrival

**Arrival**

Garrett Hawke woke up in a decent mood. His lover, Anders, had already left for his clinic in Darktown and would most likely need to be dragged back home for dinner. There were a few jobs that needed doing, but nothing so important that it couldn't wait. Garrett hadn't been his normal, sarcastic self since his mother died just a few days previously. The last of his family was gone. Gamlen didn't count. Sure, he could claim a distant relationship to Solona Amell, Hero of Ferelden, but the likelihood of their paths crossing was slim. The Hawkes never spoke to the Amells after Mother and Father left Kirkwall. The blight had taken Carver and Bethany, and a lunatic blood mage had taken his mother.

He was depressing himself again. Anders had been doing his best to comfort the rogue, but the emptiness his mother's death left in his heart was still too new, too sharp. Sighing, he left his room and wondered to the den, intent on getting some breakfast. Orana was still a nervous little thing, but she was a fabulous cook, and had finally stopped calling him "Master." If Fenris ever heard her call him that, he had no doubt that he would get a glowing lyrium fist shoved into his chest cavity. He'd very much like to avoid that.

As he walked past the writing desk in the front hall on his way to the den, his eye caught a strangely official looking letter. Curious as to what it was about, he grabbed it to read over his breakfast.

"Ah, Messere! I've taken the liberty of putting out some breakfast and tea for you by your chair in the den. If there's anything else I can do for you, please, please, just let me know!" Announced Bodahn.

"Thank you, Bodahn." Hawke sat in his chair and open the letter. He took a sip of tea as he read the first few lines, before promptly spitting his mouthful out in shock.

_Dear Garrett Hawke, _

_The following information will no doubt shock you as much as it did me when I found out. I'm told that if you wish to seek verification that this letter and it's claims are authentic, you must only present the crest found on the heading of this parchment to any dwarf in the merchant's guild. _

_I should probably start by introducing myself. My name is Harry Potter, and I am your cousin. Your father, Malcolm, was my father's half brother. To get straight to the point of this letter, I am in need of help. I need a blood relative with whom I can stay with for the duration of the summer. You are one of the last of my family I have left. This letter should arrive the day before I do. At the very least, I would very much like to meet you, even if I cannot stay._

_I have little time to explain in this letter, so any questions you have will have to wait until I arrive. I hope to see you soon._

_Your Cousin,_

_Harry James Potter_

Hawke immediately folded the letter and went to put on his leathers. After quickly arming himself, he stashed the letter in one of his pocket and headed out the door, calling out to Bodahn to send word to Anders to meet him at the Hanged Man as soon as he could. Hawke quickly made his way through Hightown, and down to Lowtown to the Hanged Man. Ignoring the patrons in the tavern, he all but burst into Varric's rooms, slightly out of breath.

Varric was sitting at his table, eating his breakfast with Isabela, and raised an inquiring eyebrow at the sudden entrance of his friend. "Geez, Hawke. What's got you in such a hurry this morning? I'd have thought you'd still be in bed with Blondie."

Isabela took this as her cue to chime in, "Yes, Hawke. What is the rush? Do I need to give you and Anders a few tips on how to better occupy yourselves?" Her salacious grin didn't even faze him; he was too overwhelmed by the letter from his so-called cousin.

Without even acknowledging Isabela, Hawke pulled out the letter. Looking at Varric, he spoke. "Varric, I need you to look at this and tell me what you know about the crest and the information written in the letter itself." Varric carefully took the letter from Hawke, wondering what it could possibly contain that had gotten him so visibly riled.

If Varric had had tea in his mouth when he saw the crest on the letter, he would have spat it out much like Hawke had earlier. He quickly scanned the rest of the letter before returning his gaze to Hawke. It was no wonder Hawke was acting so unlike himself. After losing his mother days before, as well as the deaths of the rest of his family within just the last few years, receiving a letter from an unknown, and close, relative must have been shocking. Never had words failed Varric in his life, but he found himself needing a moment to collect himself before he could address Hawke.

"Well Hawke, I can tell you right now that there is no way this letter is anything but authentic. Hell, I doubt anyone wanting to scam you would even know that this crest exists, let alone be able to forge it! I don't think this crest has be used for a least a few hundred years! This Potter fellow must really be something to be in contact with these kind of...people."

Having been ignored for long enough, not to mention terribly confused, Isabela interjected. "What are the two of you talking about? What is going on?"

Varric looked to Hawke for permission, before explaining what he knew. "Hawke here has received a letter from Gringotts." Seeing their blank looks at the name, he elaborated. "Okay, here's my history lesson for the day. When the Tevinter Imperium was still around, there was a, ah, let's call it a company. This company was called Gringotts. They were like traders, and dealt regularly with the Imperium and the Dwarven Merchant's Guild. They had an extremely lucrative business, and seemed to have things that no one had ever seen before. No one else sold it, and no one ever knew who created it. Since the Imperium is no longer around, only Dwarves in the Merchant's Guild are even told of them now. They simply up a disappeared somewhere during the fall of the Imperium. They left behind a message that they didn't want to interfere with the 'squabbling' and that they may decide to renew dealings at a later date. The reason they were so important was because they sold the technology that led Cairidin to create the first golems." Here Varric paused a moment, seeming to debate with himself for a moment.

Varric sighed, and continued, "The other reason Dwarf Merchants still talk about them is because they were, well, _different_."

"Different how?" Hawke questioned.

"Different as in they were not human, dwarf, elf, qunari, darkspawn, or any other type of sentient being you know of. They called themselves Goblins - I shit you not. I could not make this up." Varric added that last part, preemptively cutting off his companions from calling bullshit. "They were shorter than we dwarves, and very shrewd businessmen. As long as you had coin to pay them, they could get you just about anything you wanted. Now, onto the letter." He addressed Isabela now, as she still did not know what the letter was about. "Hawke here has been sent a letter with the Gringotts crest from a guy named Potter who says he's Hawkes cousin and that he'll be here tomorrow. If you ask me, it sounds like he's in some sort of trouble." Here, Varric passes the letter to Isabela to read.

"Hmm, I see what you mean. And look here, he specifically mentions needing a 'blood relative' and not just some family related through marriage." Isabela pointed out the specific line in the letter. "If he just need a place to stay for the summer, why should the blood relative bit matter?"

"Garrett!"

All three companions looked to see Anders rushing into Varric's rooms, looking as out of breath as Hawke had been when he entered.

"Bodahn said that you'd be here and that you needed to see me as soon as possible. He said you seemed a bit shaken and left in a hurry. What's wrong?" Anders said, his eyes holding a bit of concern since nothing had seemed wrong when he left for the clinic.

Isabela silently handed the letter to Anders, who looked curiously at Hawke for a moment, before reading it. After finishing the letter, he looked sharply at Varric, and questioned. "Is this true?"

Varric then reiterated what he had just told Hawke and Isabela to Anders, before turning to Hawke. "Back to what I had been saying before. Potter must really be something for Gringotts to have sent you this letter for him. My guess is that he payed them to find you. That's why I'm doubly sure this isn't a scam. Gringotts isn't cheap, so this cousin of yours obviously isn't after your recently acquired fortune. I think all you can do now his wait for him to get here."

Hawke looked at the letter silently for a moment. Lifting his head, he spoke, "Thanks, Varric. Look, if you see any of the others, let them know what's going on and invite them to be here for Wicked Grace tomorrow evening. Regardless of what happens, I'll make sure to bring him by after he gets here. Anders, will you come back home with me? I need some help with...this."

Anders nodded his assent, and the couple left, waving goodbye to the dwarf and the pirate on their way out. The walk back to the Hawke estate was silent, as neither Hawke nor Anders wanted to discuss the happenings of the morning where they could be overheard.

The rest of the day saw the couple discussing theories on what help his cousin could need, and why his status as a _blood_ relative was important. Hawke had Orana prepare the spare bedroom (not his mothers) for their guests arrival. All they could do now was wait.

* * *

Hawke and Anders decided to both stay home after they woke up the next day. Potter had not specified when he would arrive, only that it would be the day after Hawke received his letter. Not wanting to miss the arrival of his mysterious cousin, Hawke decided to spend the day reading through the paperwork he had let accumulate about the state of his finances. It was tedious work. Luckily, Anders had also wanted to be there for the arrival of his lover's cousin, so Hawke persuaded him to help.

It wasn't until several hours past midday that a knock sounded at the front door. Hawke and Anders listened as Bodahn greeted the person and welcomed them into the foyer, and Hawke got up to see if it was Potter or another visitor, Anders following behind him.

Upon reaching the main entrance, Hawke saw Bodahn escorting a young boy into the room. He couldn't have been older than thirteen summers, with messy black hair. The boy was holding a trunk in one hand and a cage in the other, which contain a gorgeous snow white owl. If it weren't for the fact that the letter had said his cousin wanted to stay the summer, and this boy had obviously brought his belongings with him, Hawke would never have guessed this boy was his mysterious cousin. The boy had put his belongings down and, upon noticing Hawke and Anders, turned to address them.

"Hello. I'm sorry for appearing so suddenly. May I ask if either of you are Garrett Hawke? My name is Harry Potter."

* * *

**Okay everyone, chapter two is up! **

**As far as pairings go, I've decided to make a list of possible partners for Harry and the votes they've received. Chapter three is almost done, so it should be up within a week.**

**Isabela-1**

**Merril-1**

**Fenris-1**

**Sebastian-0**

**Zevran-0**

**Leliana-0**

**I'm still open to suggestions if I haven't listed your choice.**


	3. Meetings

**Meetings**

Harry decided that his cousin must be rather well known if the first person he asked knew exactly which home was his cousin's estate. He was welcomed into the home by a rather short man with sandy brown hair and a beard who introduced himself as Bodahn, Messere Hawkes servant. From what the goblins had told him, Bodahn was either a dwarf or a very short man. He had been lead into what looked like the main room, and put his things down. When he looked up, he noticed two men watching him. Hiding his nervousness, he addressed them, "Hello. I'm sorry for appearing so suddenly. May I ask if either of you are Garrett Hawke? My name is Harry Potter."

One man had long blonde-red hair pulled back into a pony tail and was wearing what looked like some kind of long coat with feathers on the shoulders. The other man, the taller of the two, had dark, messy hair, a beard, and some kind of either tattoo or scar across his nose. He was wearing trousers and a belted shirt of what looked to be very nice cloth. It was this man who spoke.

"I am Garrett Hawke, and this is my, uh, lover, Anders. I apologize if I seem a bit surprised. You're...younger than I expected. Your letter said something about you needing help from a blood relative? Why don't we all sit in the den and you can tell us what all of this is about. Bodahn can take your things to your room."

_So far, so good_. "That sounds great. I'm sure I have a lot of explaining to do." Harry took a moment to watch Bodahn begin taking his things upstairs before following the two men into what Harry assumed was the den. Garrett and Anders sat in the two chairs closest to the fireplace while Harry sat on the small sofa, facing them. A young woman with pointed ears then came into the room silently and served them all tea. Hawke thanked the woman, Orana, before the elf left the room just as quietly. Or at least, Harry assumed she had been an elf.

Hawke was the first to speak up, "So, I'm hoping you can explain to me what all of this is about. Not that I'm not glad to meet you, or anything, but your letter made it sound like you were in some kind of trouble."

Harry winced faintly, "Well, it's best that I start from the beginning, I guess. How much do you know about the crest that was on the letter I sent you?"

Anders decided to speak up for Hawke this time, as he had little doubt his lover had forgotten most of what Varric had told them yesterday. "We showed the letter to a friend of ours from the Guild. He told us that the crest hadn't been used for a few hundred years. He also told us that the crest was for some company named Gringotts and that it was run by goblins. He was actually incredibly surprised. He said you must really be something for you to be in contact with them when no one has seen them for centuries."

Harry looked a bit surprised by this, but nodded. "Most of what he said was correct. I went to the goblins and paid them to find any blood relatives that were still living. I also paid them to send you that letter, and to send me here." Harry stopped here for a moment, thinking on the best way to proceed. "Goblins are actually bankers. Gringotts is primarily a bank, one my family has had vaults with for as long as they have been Potters. The reason why no one here has heard from them in so long is because they don't exist here."

"What do you mean they don't exist _here_?" Hawke was sure Anders' face was showing as much confusion as his was.

"Just what I said. Let me explain," said Harry. "The goblins possess magical artifacts called Eluvian. They look like mirrors, but they are actually doorways. This doorway transports the user through the Fade, and into another world. Both the goblins and I are from a world separate from this one called Earth. I'm what you call a mage, though on Earth we're called witches and wizards. Our two worlds are vastly different. For one, those of us with magic hide ourselves from those who don't. The vast majority of my world doesn't know magic exists."

Seeing that he still had both men's attention, Harry sighed, before continuing. "When I was a little over a year old, there was a Dark Lord waging a war in the wizarding world. He hunted my family down, and killed my parents. My mother willingly sacrificed her life for mine and created a blood protection around me with that sacrifice. When Voldemort, the Dark Lord, tried to kill me, his spell rebounded and destroyed his body. All I got was a scar on my forehead, and became famous for destroying him. They call me the Boy-Who-Lived." Harry sneered here, showing just what he thought of that particular moniker.

"The headmaster of the wizarding school Hogwarts sent me to live with my mother's sister and her family. They aren't magical, and don't like me. At all." Harry looked up here, looking straight at Hawke. "The reason I need to find a blood relative is because the protective blood wards around me require it, or so Headmaster Dumbledore tells me. I said Voldemort's body was destroyed, but he's not dead, and he wants to kill me because I'm the only one to ever escape him alive." Harry was desperately hoping that his explanation satisfied his cousin, and Garrett would allow him to stay.

Vernon had never really beaten him. Sure, he had slept in a cupboard for ten years, and he didn't get as much food as he should have, but he wasn't in denial about his childhood. Harry knew he had been abused, but he also knew it could have been worse. He also knew that if he had gone back to Number Four, it would have gotten worse.

Anders and Hawke were still silently reeling from all of the information they had just received. They were starting to get used to the strange things that always seem to happen in Kirkwall, but this took the cake. There was still one thing Harry hadn't said though. Hawke was already suspicious, but the question needed to be asked. "Harry, why do you not want to stay with these Dursleys?"

Harry was hoping his cousin wouldn't have picked up on that part. He'd be happy if he never told anyone about how the Dursley's had treated him, but he knew he had to answer if he wanted to have a chance at staying here. "The Dursleys hate magic. Uncle Vernon always said he'd 'stamp it out of me.' They've always told me I was a freak and unnatural. I didn't even know I had magic until I turned eleven and my Hogwarts letter came. My bedroom was a cupboard under the stairs, and they treated me like a servant. Or rather, a slave, since they never gave me anything. Last summer before I went away to school, I sort of, well, _blewupmyaunt_."

Hawke and Anders both were scowling at Harry's description of his childhood. Anders because they had treated Harry like that because of his magic, and Hawke because of the way a member of his family had been treated. Both, However, were confused about the last thing Harry said.

"I'm sorry, did you say you _blew up your Aunt_?" Hawke asked incredulously, torn somewhere between horror and amusement.

"Well, I didn't blow here up as in she exploded or something. She blew up like a balloon and floated away over the neighborhood." Harry replied.

Anders and Hawke looked at each other for a moment before they both burst into raucous laughter. "Oh Maker! That's priceless!" Declared Hawke before calming himself down enough that he could address Harry. He looked a the teen, and knew that he couldn't turn him away. He shared a glance with Anders, and his lover nodded, agreeing to what he knew Hawke had decided.

Hawke turned to Harry and noticed for the first time that night how tense Harry was. He smiled at him, and saw Harry relax his shoulders a bit. With the way he had described the family he had been living with, the poor lad was probably half afraid Hawke would kick him out on the street.

Harry had seen the look Garrett had shared with Anders. He didn't think he'd ever been so nervous in his life. He couldn't help but be afraid that his last chance of having family would send him away, not wanting anything to do with him. If his cousin refused him, Harry was sure his heart would break. The Dursley's had always told him he was worthless and unlovable. As much as he didn't want to believe them, ten years of their abuse had not left him unscarred; physically or emotionally.

Hawke's smile widened as he looked at his baby cousin. He would protect and shelter Harry, and he would not fail him as he had failed Carver, Bethany, and Mother. He would not lose another member of his family if he could help it.

"Well then, " Hawke started, "that answered most of our questions, though I'm sure we'll have more later. For now, you should probably go get cleaned up and settled a bit. Anders and I are going to take you to the Hanged Man and introduce you to our companions. After all, since you're staying the summer, I have no doubt you'll tag along on a few of the messes we seem to find ourselves in. We'll also have to talk about what Anders and I are going to teach you. I certainly can't let my adorable baby cousin walk around, not knowing how to defend himself."

It took a moment for what Hawke said to register in Harry's mind. He could stay! He had family that _cared_. A that moment, Harry was sure he was happier than he had ever been; even happier than the first time he had seen Hogwarts. This mansion, with his cousin and Anders, could become his _home_. The closest he had ever been to feeling he was home was when he was at Hogwarts. Harry let out a tiny, almost silent cry, and propelled himself put of his chair. He wrapped his thin arms around his cousins neck in relief and happiness, letting his tears soak into the fabric of Garrett's shoulder.

Garrett saw the moment his cousin registered what he had said. The pure hope and happiness in Harry's eyes filled his chest with a warm feeling. Garrett hadn't, however, been expecting the boy to launch himself across the room and cling to him in a hug. His heart broke a little for Harry when he felt tears through his clothes where his cousin had hidden his face. Hawke wrapped his strong arms around the boy, offering what comfort he could. Lowering his head to rest on Harry's mess of hair, Garrett whispered, "You're safe now. I'm not letting you go."

And Harry believed him.

* * *

Once Harry had pulled himself together, he had felt embarrassed about how he had thrown himself at Garrett. The three men had spent the next few hours going over what Harry would be doing for the summer. Harry had been reluctant, but finally told the two men about his last three years of school. Instead of scolding him like he had half expected, they had praised him! From there it was decided that Anders would tutor Harry in magic and potions/herbalism. Hawke would be teaching him how to fight with daggers, pickpocket, and other roguish techniques. To say he was looking forward to the rest of his summer would be an understatement.

Now, the three were headed to the Hanged Man to introduce Harry to their companions and the city of Kirkwall. It was already starting to get dark when they left Hawke's manor, and the merchants were packing up for the night when they passed through the market on their way down to Lowtown. Harry noticed that Anders and Hawke both kept very close to him at all times, as if shielding him. From what Harry had been able to gather about Kirkwall from the goblins and the two men, Anders and Hawke probably were shielding him. It had occurred to him as they walked that Kirkwall was probably more dangerous than Hogwarts and the Dursley's combined.

The three men came to a stop outside a curious establishment. Harry had never seen a sign quite as, ah, colorful, as the Hanged Man's. Though really, it wasn't so strange considering the Wizarding World had places like the Leaky Cauldron or the Hogshead. As they walked through the doors, Harry decided that the Hanged Man was quite like the Leaky Cauldron, if a bit more crowded and a lot more dirty. After all, he couldn't really tell if it was a dirt floor, or if there was so much dirt that it covered the floorboards completely. Harry was swiftly led through the throng of drunks that occupied the lower floor, and up the stairs into Varric's room.

There was a good few people in the room, and they were all a bit strange from what Harry could tell. There was a short man who reminded him a bit of Bodahn, so he assumed that he was actually a dwarf. He had blond hair pulled back a bit like Anders, and several earrings. He was also wearing his coat open, displaying his chest that was impressively hairy. Seated next to him was a dark skinned, dark haired woman. She was _very_ scantily clad in a shirt and corset, and Harry was sure that if he was a bit older he would have been reduced to a drooling fool. He almost was now, despite his relatively young age. Next to her were two people who must have been elves, like Orana. The one next to the dark skinned woman was female with short, dark hair. She also seemed a bit on the timid side, and she looked around with some confusion on her face. The last person in the room was by far the most unique. He had tan skin with silvery-blue markings that looked almost scar-like, and white hair. If Harry had needed proof that he was in a different world, the people gathered in this room would have convinced him. The dwarf had stood up to greet the newcomers warmly.

"Hawke! Blondie! It's about time you showed up. And this must be your mysterious cousin; he's shorter than I imagined."

If Harry hadn't been so nervous, he would have felt a bit more anger at that remark. As it was, he was taller than the dwarf, but shorter than the elves. Compared to his cousin and Anders, he was downright scrawny. He also noticed, to his slight humiliation, that if the dark woman were standing, she would also be taller than him.

"Now Varric, be nice," said Garrett. His cousin steered him to stand in front where he was easily seen by all in the room. "I believe introductions are in order. This," Hawke gestured to the dwarf, "is Varric Tethras. If it weren't for him, I would not possess half of the gold, or social standing, that I do. But, that is a story for later."

"And if it weren't for you, Hawke, we wouldn't be alive, let alone rich," Varric answered in a jovial tone.

"Moving on. Next, we have the dusky goddess, Isabela." Garrett waved a hand toward the dark woman with a smile.

The woman smirked, winked, and spoke in a flirty tone, "Oh my, aren't you just precious! When I found out Hawke's cousin was coming, I pictured someone around his age. Young is better, though, since you'll be more easily trained. I do miss having a cabin boy, after all." The last remark was said in a sly tone, and startled a laugh out of Varric. Garrett, however, was slightly less amused.

"Don't go corrupting my cousin, Isabela. I'd rather not have to deal with the kind of trouble he'd cause that you'd no doubt teach him."

"Oh, Hawke, you wound me!" Isabela exclaimed playfully, resting her hand over her heart. "Come, kiss it better."

"Actually, I'd rather Garrett not kiss you, Isabela. He is mine, after all," Anders interjected.

Isabela humphed, but she was obviously not offended. Garrett continued with the introducing his friends, by turning his attention to the female elf. "This is Merrill. She is a mage; similar to Anders, but she uses different magic. Anders is our healer, while Merrill uses more...combative magic."

"Hello, it is very nice to meet you."

Before Harry could respond, Hawke spoke again. "And the broody elf is Fenris." Here, the elf in question grunted in acknowledgement. "He and Aveline are the only two among us that are warriors. Anders and Merrill are mages, as you know, and the rest of us are rogues. Speaking of Aveline, where are she and Sebastian?"

Varric spoke up, "The Guard Captain is stuck at the keep, and choir-boy is attending confessions and couldn't make it. Aveline said she'd try to stop by the manor soon, but if you want to see Sebastian, you'll have to go to the Chantry."

Garrett sighed a bit, "Well, nothing for it, then. Alright, everyone? This is my little cousin, Harry Potter."

His cousin paused, and he finally spoke up, "Hello. It's very nice to meet you all."

Garrett smiled at him and said, "Let's all get comfortable, and Harry can share a few of his stories with us. Trust me, you'll all want to hear this."

And so the evening went. Harry told of what he knew about the connection between to two worlds. When it was revealed that Harry was magical, Fenris reacted negatively and accused Harry of consorting with Demons. This led into Harry's discovery of Demons and Spirits of the Fade, and how Justice possessed Anders. Harry told the gathered party that such beings did not exist in his world, and wizards and witches could only be possessed by another wizard or witch. It was therefore theorized that the magical 'core' of the beings in his world was actually a piece a the Fade, detached from the whole, which resided in their soul.

"So that means I'm not susceptible to these beings in the Fade." Harry concluded. "So, if I wanted to use blood magic, I would use my emotions, such as my own sense of Justice or Pride, to cast the magic?"

"That sounds entirely plausible," Anders answered with a contemplative face. Fenris, after agreeing with the assessment of the nature of Harry's magic, no longer looked at Harry with distrust. For a while there, Fenris had reminded him of Snape.

Harry also regaled the group with tales about his adventures in Hogwarts, and about his best friends, Ron and Hermione. When Harry got to the battle between he and the Basilisk, the company felt he had exaggerated the great snake's size. At least, they doubted him until he showed them the scar from it's fang on his arm. From then on, they no longer believed that his tales were anything but the whole truth.

The night came to a close, and after saying farewells, the group parted. Harry, Anders, and Garrett made it back to the manor safely, and Garrett warned Harry to get a good sleep because his training would start tomorrow. Harry fell asleep feeling safe, and excited about the rest of the summer.

Harry's final thought before sleep over came him was, _This is what Home must feel like_.

* * *

**To clarify: Charlus Potter had two sons. He fathered Malcolm Hawke with Erlinda Hawke out of wedlock. Charlus then married Dorea Black and fathered James Potter. This makes James and Malcolm half brothers. Garrett Hawke is Malcolm's son and Harry is James's, making them cousins. Harry isn't related to the Amells by blood; he's related to the Hawkes by blood through their common ancestor, Charlus Potter. I think a few people got confused, thinking Harry was blood related through Leandra Amell, and he's not.**

**As far as the pairings go, Harry is only 13 years old and way too young for a relationship. He will develop crushes like normal teenagers, but not anything serious. He will not start to develop serious romantic feelings until chapter 13 at the earliest. That being said, his first romance will not be his last romance. I think that it is unrealistic that the first relationship that he has, is who he will be in love with forever. In real life, things rarely work out like that. So, I will still take requests for who Harry will 'end up' with in the epilogue. I have decided, based on the responses and reasons given to me, that Isabela will be Harry's first serious romantic interest. I believe that she will help to develop his character, but that she is not cut out for a long term relationship with Harry. She will teach Harry to become confident in his sexuality. Based on reader reviews, Harry's second relationship will be with Fenris. Whether they stay in a relationship or not, I have yet to decide. As I said, there are a least 10 chapters between now and Harry's romance, so there is plenty of time for you to add your input and for me to change my mind.**

**On the topic of Merrill being paired with Harry: I have decided that Merrill is too naïve and innocent to be a viable romantic option. However, you are welcome to leave a review with any justifications you have as to why she would be a good option. If you can convince me, I will change my mind. **

**Also, I want to quickly add that the Tevinter language will be Latin. The Tevinter Imperium was based off of the Roman Empire and the Byzantines, so this is not too far of a stretch. I also hope that this will help to cultivate a relationship between Fenris and Harry.**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed, I really looked forward to receiving your input. I apologize for taking so long to update, but I just got a job working at a hospital on third shift, so I've had little time to commit to writing. Fun fact: I finished this chapter while I was drunk after celebrating a friend's birthday. I went back later to check over what I had written, and decided I actually liked most of it.**

**Anyway, it hopefully won't take to long for me to finish the next chapter, but we'll see.**

**Cheers,**

**Pauli Kaye**


End file.
